When you first meet your BCA chiropractor for the first time, he/she will start with a discussion about you, your health and your reasons for asking for chiropractic help.

You will be asked for a great deal of information, not just about the pain or complaint that may have brought you, but about your past health history. Some of the questions may appear irrelevant, but they are extremely important to your chiropractor.

To ensure that chiropractic care is appropriate for your condition he/she will need to establish an overall health picture. If chiropractic appears not to be suitable for you, you will be referred to your GP or relevant specialist. Your details are confidential. No one else will be allowed to see your notes without your
permission.

Examination

Once your case history is complete, your BCA chiropractor will examine you to confirm any early ideas about your problem. The examination will concentrate on your neuromusculoskeletal system (nerves, muscles and joints), but it may also be necessary to check other things such as your heart, lungs and abdomen to rule out other causes; this thorough check up is a normal procedure in a chiropractor’s clinic. However, it is not usual for a chiropractor to examine intimate areas; you will normally be referred to your GP if your
chiropractor feels you would benefit from this.

Gowns are made available for you to wear for the examination, as well as any following treatments.
After the initial consultaion and examination, your chiropractor may offer you treatment almost
immmediately. However, it may be delayed for a day or two if he/she needs to take or view X-rays, perform urine tests or obtain further information from your GP (for example blood tests results) and where
appropiate, refer you for an MRI/CT scan.

Report a finding

Before treatment starts, your BCA chiropractor will tell you, in clear, simple language, what is wrong with you, what can be done about it and what you should expect when you receive your first adjustments. You will probably be told about any exercises or changes to your lifestyle or diet that may be beneficial, so that you can help yourself. A part of getting better is up to you, so please follow any instructions and advice carefully and completely.

You will also be advised of all costs that relate to you future care. It would be appropriate, at this point, for your chiropractor to tell you of any likeihood of a recurrence of your problem, and the possible need for any ongoing supportive care. This is not an unusual situation for patients who have had serious injuries, as well as those who have long-term problems due to wear and tear to the joints.

Treatment

Chiropractic treatment mainly invloves safe, often gentle, specific adjustments, done by hand, to free joints in the spine or other areas of the body that are not moving properly. Most often, this requires a short thrust to a joint that can result in an audible ‘crack’, and may bring relief of symptoms as well as an increased feeling of well-being. The ‘crack’ is simply the sound of bubbles of gas popping in the fluid of the joint as the pressure is released.

There is, however, no instant cure, and some patients may experience temporary symptoms such as pain or soreness around the areas being treated, with redness or even bruising of the skin. Spinal disc problems may appear to flare up in the early stages of treatments, and where there is already inflammation, your
condition may seem worse to start with. Treatments to the neck may give a distinct light headedness, and occasionally a short-lived headache. Apart from the adjustment, your chiropractor may use a wide variety of techniques including ice, heat, ultrasound and exercises. If you have questions about any of these, just ask.

Clinical Psychology at Farnham Chiropractic Clinic

The Clinical Psychologists provide psychological assessment and therapy for people with a wide range of physical health problems. Areas we can help with include:

• coping with unpleasant symptoms such as pain and fatigue
• coping with undergoing medical or surgical treatment (e.g. entering hospital scanners, administering injections, tolerating chemotherapy)
• coping with the emotional impact of having been physically ill
• coping with pregnancy and childbirth
• coping with trauma and distress associated with difficult hospital experiences including during critical care or childbirth
• supporting people and their hospital team to make difficult decisions about their treatment e.g. elective / prophylactic surgery

Psychological therapy can help support recovery and rehabilitation during and after illness enabling patients to develop strategies for managing symptoms of anxiety, depression and psychological trauma triggered by the illness.  It can also help people to make lifestyle adjustments to accommodate the changes brought about by illness (e.g. changes in body image, decreased physical ability) or manage the demands the illness places on their life.

What to expect when you see a Clinical Psychologist

On arrival at the Clinic you will be asked to complete a registration form which includes giving us your consent to proceed.  We will always start by offering you an assessment which will last for at least one complete session and sometimes may require more sessions.  We will aim to identify what you need help with and we will ask about your current circumstances and personal history.  Given that we specialise in working with people with health problems, we will ask about your physical symptoms, treatment and related experiences.  However, at no time would we undertake any kind of physical examination.  After the assessment we will offer you an explanation of how we understand your problems and how we may be able to help.  We will let you know approximately how many sessions it is likely that you will need in order to benefit from therapy.  Please note that we offer short term, structured cognitive behavioural therapy and this requires active collaboration and participation including carrying out tasks between sessions.  It is a case of the more you put in the more benefit you are likely to gain.  This will influence the number of sessions you require. If we can’t help or think other services may be more suitable, we will make recommendations to you.